Records and Archives Management Essays

The information and knowledge society calls for skills in information policy analysis, design, implementation and evaluation. Librarians, Records Managers and Archivists as well as often information professionals need to be well versed in information policy analysis, design, implementation and evaluation to enable them to contribute effectively in information policy processes. In this paper the author is going to discuss how information professionals match up to information policy development. Definition of terms According to Mutongi K. (2012:4) Policy is a set of principles guiding decision making. It provides a framework against which proposals or activities can be tested and progress measured. Stueart and Moran (1994:42) asserts that, ideally, a policy contains a definition of the problem being addressed, a statement of goals (the desired state of affairs), and at least the broad outline of the instruments (approaches and activities) by which the goals are to be achieved. In...

Roper and Miller (1999:1) listed the benefits of electronic records as resulting in increased access to information, flexibility in the creation and use of information, improved efficiency and effectiveness, increased economic and business opportunity and improved capacity for audit and compliance. It is these benefits that should make all organizations and states ensure that electronic records are managed properly and remain accessible. In this paper, the author is going to discuss the relevancy of the National Archives Act for the management of websites and any related online information. The National Archives Act of Zimbabwe (1986) is an act of parliament published in 1986 enacted to provide for the storage and preservation of public archives and public records; for the declaration and preservation of protected historical records. The act was also enacted to repeal the National Archives Act (Chapter 309). On the other hand web definition of a website is “a location connected t...

Among various behavioral theories long generally believed and embraced by American business are those of Frederick Herzberg and Abraham Maslow. Herzberg, a psychologist, proposed a theory about job factors that motivate employees. Maslow, a behavioral scientist and contemporary of Herzberg's, developed a theory about the rank and satisfaction of various human needs and how people pursue these needs. These theories are widely cited in the business literature. In this paper the author is going to compare and contrast Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs with Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory. Definition of Terms According to the Wikipedia the Herzberg’s  motivation-hygiene theory  and dual-factor  theory ) states that there are certain factors in the workplace that cause job satisfaction, while a separate set of factors cause dissatisfaction on the other hand Maslow wanted to understand what motivates people. He believed that people possess a set of motivation systems unrelated t...

BY ETIWEL MUTERO Introduction The Michigan State University Libraries says before the American civil war paper was made from cotton and linen.  These fibres made a very durable paper, but acquiring the materials and processing them was time consuming and costly.  As the demand for paper increased, a new material and paper making techniques were required to meet the demand.  Wood pulp was the new material and while it met the increase demand for paper, it came a host of problems.  When paper made from wood pulp reacts with heat, light and moisture, acids are formed.  These acids in paper weaken the strength of the paper making the paper turn yellow, less flexible and becoming brittle.  In this paper the author is going to write on the de-acidification process as a conservation treatment employed to retard or slow down the rate of deterioration.  The author will also try to find if de-acidification is a total solution to paper preservation problems...

T.R Schellenberg worked in an American archive and shortly after the second world war he was overwhelmed by a huge influx of records which prompted him to devise a strategy of appraising records.  The result was the appraisal of records using what he called records values, that is, primary and secondary values.  In this article the author is going to critique Schellenberg’s model of primary and secondary values. Definition of Terms The author will define what the Schellenberg’s model of primary and secondary values is all about.  According to Bettington (208:20-21) T.R. Schellenberg was a US Archivist who advocated that archivists needed to be involved in the selection of records of value to researchers.Bettington says Schellenberg devised a system of values to assist archivists in making appraisal decisions.  Schellenberg explained that public archives have two types of values:  a primary value to the original agency and secondary value to other agencie...

A successful human resources strategy complements a company mission and goals so that what works for an industry grant won’t necessarily be suitable for your small business.  The factors influencing human resources activities are not static:  to maximize recruitment and retention, and to maximize employee issues, small business managers must continually monitor internal and external environmental factors and adjust human resources strategy accordingly.  In this paper the author is going to discuss factors that influence human resource supply. Definition of Terms Human resources according to the en,Wikipedia.org is the set of individuals who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, or economy.  Human capital is sometimes used synonymously with human resources.  The whatishumanresources website www.whatishumanresource.com defines human resources as the individuals or personnel or workforce within an organization responsible for performin...

Lesk (1996) is famed for writing the seven stages of information retrieval.  Lask is account seemed to be a criticism of Bush’s predictions on information retrieval systems since he referred a number of times to Bush’s writings and predictions.  Shakespear had described the seven ages of man (Shakespear 1599) starting from infancy and leading to senility.  The history of information retrieval parallels such a life, assert Lesk (1996:1).  Lesk says the popularization of the idea of information retrieval started in 1945, with Vannevar Bush’s article.  In this paper the author is going to discuss the (7) seven stages of the information retrieval. Definition of Terms The author will define what information retrieval is and who Michael Lesk was.  According to the Wikipedia www.wikipedia.org/wiki/information-Retrieval , Information retrieval (IR) is the activity of obtaining information need from a collection of information resources.  Searches can b...